# Origin of "Ignore alien orders" phrase **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389 "2003-11-10T14:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mdeemorris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@mdeemorris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdeemorris)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/21 "2018-10-02T17:30:20Z")
My family was friends with Jon Sagen, a music promoter who knew Bob and Ted when they created the stickers in Berkeley. He helped distribute them to musicians around the world. I made a website about Ignore Alien Orders a while ago, and you can hear Jon tell the origin story here: [www.ignorealienorders.org](http://www.ignorealienorders.org) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/22 "2018-10-02T17:56:25Z")
What is wrong with that link? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/23 "2018-10-02T17:57:42Z")
Using a Chrome browser, the page is indicating I need to download Flash. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/24 "2018-10-02T18:09:56Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > That seems like a terrible idea. What if your CO gave you an order and then some random officer came over and countermanded it? In the U.S. military, you are required to obey all orders issued by someone who outranks you (not merely officers), UNLESS, those orders conflict with orders issued by someone in your chain of command, your General Orders, or relevant regulations and laws. In practice, it was (in my personal experience) vanishingly rare to be given an order by anyone outside of my chain of command, except for specific situations (orders by a medical officer regarding treatment for an injury, or example, or orders that would be ordinary bureaucratic and/or crowd management instructions in a civilian context). BTW, I’ve never encountered the phrase “Ignore alien orders” outside of this thread. I’m virtually certain it does not have an origin in the U.S. (or any other) military - it just doesn’t sound like any sort of military phrasing or terminology. **Bryan Ekers** ’s proposed origin just doesn’t ring true. There wouldn’t be any need to issue such a general directive - a major problem in coalition operations is precisely the opposite, convincing ordinary line personnel that they AREN’T supposed to ignore orders from “alien” officers and NCOs. ---
**Author:** ![tspendo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e4f/32.png) [@tspendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tspendo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/25 "2019-06-12T02:00:20Z")
There was a group of artists in Cleveland OH, in the mid to late 70’s that propagated acts of ‘Art Terrorism’. They were known as the Regional Art Terrorists. Their Acts of Art Terrorism included: Installing numerous road signs on telephone poles and sigh poles, throughout the city, which said: IGNORE ALIEN ORDERS. ‘Modifying’ billboards Graffiti artwork Placing mylar strands on a bridge; more info: > **[Tales of the Regional Art Terrorists](https://www.ideastream.org/news/tales-of-the-regional-art-terrorists)** > > Art renegades of the 1970s are now established members of Northeast Ohio's cultural scene > ---
**Author:** ![Jtbaer64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@Jtbaer64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jtbaer64)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/26 "2023-12-19T21:05:49Z")
Bob Bassara made those stickers in Northern CA in the late 60’s I believe ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/27 "2023-12-20T07:15:46Z")
> [@TedC](#): > > they couldn’t get the presstype of the “R” character with its unusual foot shape Can you explain that a bit? I’m looking at the version on the guitar and others, but I’m not seeing anything special about the R? ---
**Author:** ![TedC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@TedC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TedC)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/28 "2023-12-23T22:41:19Z")
The right leg of the R has a rounded heel and a serif-like toe I can’t send a pic. ---
**Author:** ![TedC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@TedC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TedC)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/29 "2023-12-23T22:45:50Z")
Maybe I can drag an image but not attach it by name. (upload://ipdtYXmwihtPz4gH0QPbeSARCau.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![TedC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@TedC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TedC)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/30 "2023-12-23T22:46:18Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![TedC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@TedC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TedC)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389/31 "2023-12-23T22:51:27Z")
link to R [![](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y9odgyjhqhjjlezxz8yqw/alien-orders-detail.jpg?rlkey=who96rzd14tmf4vjpx6oxg6l0&dl=0) ](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y9odgyjhqhjjlezxz8yqw/alien-orders-detail.jpg?rlkey=who96rzd14tmf4vjpx6oxg6l0&dl=0) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-ignore-alien-orders-phrase/212389.md?page=1)